Do you eat breakfast every day? What do you usually eat?
Today,
I’d like to focus on the second question — what to eat for breakfast.
Most people have breakfast, and there are many reasons why kick
starting your day with a meal is crucial. However, a lot of folks
overlook the difference between simply “eating breakfast” and “eating a
healthy breakfast”. The latter is more important.
Whether you realize it or not, a healthy breakfast is your
cancer-fighting investment. Eating breakfast itself doesn’t guarantee
protection from cancer or heart disease. Yet eating a daily, healthy
breakfast does provide you long-term health benefits, and aids you in
building the body’s defense to prevent cancer. Here are the top three
reasons why a healthy breakfast is a smart choice:
1. A significant link between eating a healthy breakfast and minimizing cancer risks is maintaining a healthy weight. Research
shows that skipping breakfast can cause you to gain weight. Obesity
contributes to common types of cancer. People who successfully maintain
their body weight usually eat a healthy breakfast every day.
2. Some breakfast products may contain vitamins/nutrients in
amounts going beyond the recommended daily allowance (RDA), or food
by-products that virtually increase your risk for developing cancer and
other health problems. For instance, bacon contains certain
levels of known and possible carcinogens, cereals often contain too
much folic acid, and there are drinks that contain far too much vitamin
C. Remember the golden rule – “Excess of anything is bad.” Just as a
drug at a higher dosage can have potentially adverse consequences, so
can too much of any vitamin.
3. A sugar-rich breakfast is the worst way to start your day. With
our modern lifestyle, it’s so easy to let too much sugar sneak into our
breakfast…. Again, sugar doesn’t cause cancer directly. However, too
much sugar intake (esp. refined sugar), hence high blood sugar level
becomes problematic, which not only initiates diabetes and heart
disease but also has been linked to increased risks for breast, colon
and pancreatic cancer.
So, what do you eat for a healthy breakfast? You can follow these
five keys, enjoying the foods that fit your own health needs and taste.
1. Breakfast should be primarily liquid or contain liquids, while
solid food plays a secondary role. There should be 3-4 different types
of food with a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fibers and healthy
fats. Milk intake can provide a high nutritional value.
2. It is important to drink water in the morning, which helps replenish
liquid lost during the night, eliminate waste, and promote blood
circulation.
3. Middle-age people should control the amount of sugar and carbohydrate intake.
4. Old people may eat more easily digested yet nutrient-rich food such as soups or noodles.
5. Take caution by reading labels! Familiarize or inform yourself with the upper limits of essential vitamins/nutrients.
After all, what do you usually include for a healthy breakfast?
Photo credit: by Just a Temporary Measure
